Columns

For an English major, I sure did lousy in Ye Olde English Literature. Byron, Keats, Milton and the rest seemed unbearably stuffy compared to my favorite authors of the period — the editors of Hot Rod, Road & Track and Car and Driver — in particular, Brock Yates.

But one poet did come up with two lines that have stayed with me: “Oh, do not ask, ‘What is Read More

Classic-car brakes, in general, are pretty simple and generally hassle-free. Most of us don’t run our cars often enough or hard enough to warrant regular replacement of the factory components — especially with regard to OEM rear drums that only handle a small portion of the actual stopping. That leads to a hidden issue that you might not have thought of — leaky wheel cylinders. And no, they don’t need to be pouring brake fluid down your tires before Read More

This month’s Race profile takes a look at a basic Nova drag car — the kind of understated monster that stands out to car crazies like us, bright as a neon sign, even from 100 paces. And at the same time, it’s the kind of car everyday people tend to ignore. It just goes to show that despite how big the car world seems to be, it’s still in fact a subculture — albeit a Read More

All of us are guilty of it. We buy an old car or truck but secretly wish it didn’t perform like one. It is like adopting a stray pit bull and hoping it won’t bite your toddler, or drinking a case of beer and thinking you won’t have a hangover. But the truth is that vehicles of a certain age just aren’t ideal for today’s roads — or sometimes even today’s owners.

Must pay to play

By 1970, closing time was fast approaching the muscle car era, and it was just as apparent at the time as it is now in retrospect. The Clean Air Act of 1970 and safety concerns — along with subsequently high insurance rates — gave enough hints to anyone paying attention, and the auto industry certainly was.

For 1971, performance began to be emphasized less, and when it was, it was aimed Read More

Recently, I drove down to the harbor to watch a neighbor launch his wood sloop, at last finished after 28 years under construction in his shed.

I wasn’t in a Corvette, but rather a 1967 Mustang that I recently adopted. The little Ivy Green coupe exerted a magnetic pull on a college-age young man, who ambled over to ask about its engine. This somehow took me back to my own college days, when my buddies Read More

Although the Jeep CJ, International Scout and Ford Bronco got the ball rolling on small personal off-roaders, it was the Chevrolet Blazer that really jump-started the interest in full-size SUVs.

Based on a shortened pickup truck platform, the Blazer was more of a play toy than a work truck. While it was able to go off road for camping, hunting, fishing or just boonie-whacking, most Blazers tended to be used on the highway as Read More

First impressions are a big deal in the car world, especially at auction. A car might only have a minute or so in the spotlight, and having it look just right for that minute can mean a difference of thousands of dollars on your bottom line.

Nothing can make or break a car’s aesthetic more than its stance. Is the nose too high up in the clouds due to reproduction big-block springs? Maybe it’s too far down in the weeds Read More

Face it: Your original muscle car’s headlights and taillights are old. Maybe they’re still as good as they ever were, but the world has changed around them. Drivers today are more distracted than ever, and even the most bland, blob-shaped commuter junk has better lighting than your prized stock GTO, Charger or Mustang. Do you really want to gamble that you’re going to be seen when you brave modern traffic in your classic machine? With a little work, you Read More